Steph gazed at me in silence as I took another sip of beer.
"Now look at you," I said, "All grown up in less than three years and the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, but I don't really believe that your present look is anything more than a convenient illusion. I'll hand you your emancipation with a kiss for luck, but I can't help but wonder what you'll choose as a persona after you move out of my flitter and I'm no longer a factor."
Her eyebrows went up. After a long moment Stephanie snickered, then she laughed.
"When you're no longer a factor?" she laughed, "When do you think that will be, Ed?"
Shrugging, I said, "Probably right after you're legalized, I guess. You won't have to consider what I'd think or say about anything anymore. It'd be nice to see you now and then, though, if you decide to stay on Earth for a while."
"I don't have any plans to leave Earth, Ed." She paused and tilted her head the way Linda does at times, then said, "I don't have any plans to leave you, either."
I simply stared at her for a few moments, then I took another swig of beer and shook my head.
"Don't say anything you may have to retract later, Steph. You've pretty much outgrown me already. Jesus, if I had your brains and abilities I'd be... Well, I'd be running loose in the universe, soaking it up wholesale."
She smiled and raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Soaking up what, exactly?"
"Oh, hell, I don't know. Everything. Anything that looks interesting. Stuff that doesn't look interesting, but might be useful later. Just everydamnthing."
"What would you do with all that knowledge, Ed?"
Shrugging, I said, "Well, I don't know that, either, but I might be able to figure it out if I had the means to get the knowledge and the capacity to absorb it."
"I see. How long do you think you'd be happy with that sort of life?"
I finished my beer and tossed the bottle at the sky. Some distance from the flitter it flared and vanished and I sat staring at the spot for a moment before answering.
"No idea, Steph. At some point I guess I'd have to try to find a way to make use of some of it to make it all worthwhile."
When I looked at her, she said softly, "Elkor and I have 'soaked up' quite a bit of knowledge about this world, certainly, but there's bound to be something left to learn, don't you think?"
"You'd know that better than me, I suppose. Probably nowhere near enough to keep you occupied even for what's left of my life, though, if that's what you're thinking."
She shook her head with a smile.
"I think it might take a little longer than that, Ed. There's also the matter of using what we've learned. People are suffering unnecessarily all over the world. I'd like to see what can be done to remedy that situation."
I laughed softly. "World management? That's been tried a few times already, but good luck. All you have to do is get everybody to stop fighting and cooperate, right?"
"Something like that, yes."
Nodding, I said, "Well, then, you're right. You'll definitely have something to keep you busy for a while. When do you plan to start this project?"
Steph caused a field-image of the Earth about two feet in diameter to appear and seemed to study it for a moment, then said, "That's yet to be determined. I need a starting point and a method that will perpetuate itself. Any suggestions?"
I gave her the fisheye and laughed. "You're serious?"
She nodded. "I'm serious. How would you begin?"
Staring first at her, then at the translucent globe, I said, "Hmm. Gimme a minute to think about that."
Chapter Forty-Two
The minute became several minutes and we began descending toward my house. Steph dissipated her canopy image of Earth as we neared the ground and I hopped off the flitter, then handed her down.
"I think I may need another few minutes to mull this over," I said. "Do I need to suggest that you shouldn't publicly announce your project?"
Steph grinned as she said, "No. That isn't necessary."
Tiger sat in the kitchen window as we approached the front door and remained there as we entered the house and turned into the kitchen.
"Yaaa," he said conversationally.
"Nice to see you, too, Tiger" I said, rubbing his head. "I'm only here for the night. We still have one more day with Mills."
Looking at Steph as she translated, Tiger turned back to me and flicked an ear, which is something akin to a nod of acknowledgement among cats.
I reached overhead for my briefcase and took out my coffee mug, rinsed it and field-heated some water in it, then dumped in some instant coffee and stirred it as I sent another tendril at my answering machine's 'play' button.
'Ed, this is Rich Engles. There's a glider meet this weekend south of Orlando. Directions and a map on the newsgroup. Call me back for details.' He then left his number.
Message two was from George Wilmot; he said that one of the forms submitted with the INS application had bounced back for further info and asked that Steph or I call him back. I stopped the tape.
"Steph," I said, "That INS application is about to become invalid. What say we pay George for time served and let him know you're about to become a Lorunan?"
She nodded. "That would be fine."
Message three was from Don Jeffries, who gave his phone number and said, 'See if you can schedule a few days free, please. We have reason to celebrate. Ring me back.'
"It's after midnight in Britain," I said, looking up his number, "But I'll be busy all day tomorrow, so I'll give him a ring."
I pulled my datapad out of my briefcase and used it to look up the phone number of a London car dealership, then entered that number as the call's point of origin when I linked into the British phone system.
When Jeffries's machine answered, I said, "Hi, Don. Ed and Stephanie here. We got your message and I'm sorry to call so late, but we'll be at Carrington all day tomorrow. Ring me back if..."
Jeffries picked up the phone and said, "I'm here. Hello, Ed."
"Hi. Sorry to wake you."
"No problem," he said, "I wasn't asleep. After a week in America, I think I'm still on your time. Your voice sounds odd, even for a transatlantic call."
"I'm using a computer relay," I said. "That doesn't mean the line is secure."
"Understood. There's someone I'd like Stephanie to meet as soon as possible."
"No problem unless Carrington needs us for something. How's Thursday?"
"Excellent. Let me know if you can't make it."
"Will do. Over and out if there's nothing else. I'll buy the first round."
"I'll graciously allow you to do that, of course. Give my regards to your lovely ladyfriend. Goodbye."
Punching the 'off' icon, I said, "Something to celebrate, he said. He works fast, lovely lady friend."
"That he does," said Steph. "He gave me the impression that it might take weeks."
"Me, too. Maybe he got lucky or maybe he operates like an engineer."
Steph gave me a questioning look.
I said, "A savvy engineer says that something will take two weeks, then he gets the job done in half that time in order to look like a genius."
Steph gave me a studious look, then asked, "You aren't joking, are you?"
Grinning, I said, "Nope. Reputations have been built on that maxim. Check it out. Review construction details from Carrington, for example. That guy Bentmore originally estimated that it might take as long as four months to finish and equip the hangars and related buildings. The job was done in just under three months and came in a little under budget. Bentmore was given an achievement award."
Taking my coffee to the living room, I flopped on the couch and watched Steph perch herself on the arm of the sofa chair. Tiger followed us and hopped onto the coffee table, then stepped across to park himself on my legs.
Steph said, "Bentmore quoted four months based on availability of materials and machinery, Ed. As it happened, everything necessary was immediately available."
"I'd bet fifty that Bentmore knew where to get everything before he submitted that estimate, Steph. He had time to call around for stuff."
She gazed thoughtfully at me for a moment, then said, "He made eighty-one calls to suppliers during the week prior to presenting the estimate and made arrangements to add twenty men to his setup crews during that same period, even though he had no contract at that time. I believe you may be right, Ed."
My watch beeped. I tapped the 'receive' button.
"Hi, Ed," said Linda, "I just got word that you left the base."
"No emergency," I said. "I'm at the house. You need me to come back?"
"No, and you answered my question. Gotta run. See you tomorrow."
"Okay."
She disconnected. I sipped my coffee and looked at Steph.
"Steph, the Lorunan rep; where will you meet him -- or her? Here? Should we plan on a cleaning binge?"
With a soft laugh, Steph said, "She'll want us to meet her at Carrington, Ed. She'll be enroute elsewhere and won't be here longer than the stopover."
"Is she human or an AI?"
Her eyebrow rose at my question as she answered, "She's an AI."
Nodding, I said, "Kinda figured that. Just curious. Well, let me know if I need to sign anything to make your freedom official. What do you want to do about the flitter?"
"Why do anything about the flitter?"
"Won't you want to move out of it and have your own core container?"
"I have no immediate need of other accommodations, Ed. If my needs change, I'll make arrangements as necessary."
Sighing slightly, I said, "I just can't help thinking that chauffeuring me around... Well, I mean, you'll have your own places to go and things to do, won't you? What with taking the PFM's commercial and all?"
With an understanding nod, Steph said, "I see. You think you'll be a drain on my resources." She shook her head slightly, tersely. "Don't worry about that."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure. Before I moved into my present core, serving and assisting you consumed as much as twenty percent of my resources at times. Since I moved into this core, nothing that you've asked of me or that I've done on my own has required even one percent of my capabilities."
I gave her a slightly skeptical look, but she said, "It's true, Ed. In this core I'm nearly half as capable as my other self, but I have none of her station responsibilities."
She stood up and came to stand by the couch and look down at me as she said, "Speaking purely from a selfish standpoint, Ed, being with you has cost me almost nothing, but it has been of great benefit to me. There is no reason to think that things would be different after my emancipation, so I would prefer to stay with you."
With a sudden big grin, she added, "Aside from that, I like you. As I see it, that alone might be worth as much as... Oh, say five percent or so of my present resources."
Laughing, I asked, "Five whole percent, huh?"
Still grinning, she said, "Oh, definitely. Every bit of five percent if absolutely necessary. Maybe even seven percent. Would you like me to reevaluate matters?"
"Oh, hell, no!" I said, "You might come up with a smaller number. Just leave it at a possible five. That's good enough for me, milady!"
Her face turned somewhat somber as she asked, "You aren't offended, are you?"
I swung my legs off the couch, repositioned Tiger, and took Steph's hand to pull her down to sit beside me.
"Offended? Steph, to me you're a kind of computerized goddess and I was dreading the day you'd leave, so I'm definitely not offended with five percent." Laughing, I added, "Eighty percent of which I'm not likely to use often anyway."
Kissing the back of her hand, I said, "Thanks for letting me know, Steph. I had this idea that you might disappear not long after you got legal."
The phone rang. I let the machine get it and heard, 'Ed, this is Rich Engles again. I took the liberty of adding your name to a list of attendees, just to make sure there'd be a place in the lineup if you can make it to the Flight Fest this Saturday. I didn't...'
That's when I fielded the portable phone and used a tendril to tap the 'talk' button as I brought it to the couch.
"Hi, Rich," I said, "I just got in a little while ago. What lineup?"
Sounding rather surprised that I'd answered, he said, "Uh, the launch lineup, Ed. They're expecting close to a hundred kites and they only have two launch planes listed so far."
"Launch planes?"
"Yeah. Ultralights that tow the gliders up."
I grinningly glanced at Steph and said, "Kewl! I was wondering how you guys got off the ground here in Florida."
His voice seemed puzzled and concerned as he asked, "Are you sure you've flown a hang glider before, Ed? I'd hate to think I sold that kite to a beginner."
Laughing, I said, "Nah. Just kidding. Do you know anybody who needs a glider? The one you sold me is for sale again."
"What? Why? Are you giving up flying?"
"Nope. I was given another kite, Rich. Brand new. State of the art, you could say."
Steph giggled softly at that.
"Given?" asked Engles, "Really? As in 'free'?"
"Yup. As in no money changed hands."
"Oh," said Rich. "Well, I'll ask around. Same price?"
"Yeah, I guess so, if I have to, but that's just to leave room for haggling. I'll take it to the meet and put a sale sign on it and take the best offer by the end of the day."
"That ought to work," said Rich. "Okay, then. See you there."
"Roger that. Thanks for calling, Rich."
He hung up, I tapped the 'off' button, then I looked at Steph.
"What was wrong with that conversation, ma'am?"
Her eyebrow went up again. "Wrong? How do you mean?"
Sipping my coffee, I said, "For all his apparent enthusiasm about such things, he didn't ask what kind of new kite I had, what brand, where I got it, or anything else about it. Not even what color it is."
With a wry grin Steph said, "We already knew he wasn't really into the sport."
"Yeah, but he's going to be at the meet, or so he said, and he called me about it."
Steph looked a little puzzled as she asked, "What's your point, Ed?"
"My point is that he's still actively spooking, Steph. The charade is still on. Chances are he already knows about my new glider. Even though Myra went to Carrington with us, Rich is still trying to make a connection with me. Why?"
She shrugged. "Maybe because you visited him aboard a flitter with three women? Possibly because he's received no orders not to continue attempts to connect?"
"Could be. Why wouldn't they have reassigned him after Myra joined us?"
"I don't know. There's nothing on record in his agency's offices to explain that. Do you know?"
It was my turn to shrug and I added a grin.
"No, not really, but I'll assume that his interest in us goes well beyond gliders, just to be on the safe side."
With a wry look, she said, "Indeed. Beyond gliders in what way, Ed?"
"I dunno. Fields, AI's, PFM's, or even your INS application. They're spooks, so maybe they just want to open a connection into 3rd World on general principles. In that business you never know who's going to be useful down the road."
Steph studied me for a moment, then asked, "What do you intend to do about him, then? Sell your glider and avoid him from now on?"
I shook my head. "Nope. After I sell my rag kite we'll stick a fake PFM on my arm and I'll fly the field kite, then I'll let everybody know that they'll be commercially available later in the year. Rich will take that info back to his boss and it will match up with a lot of Myra's report. Could be they'll feel as if their questions have pretty well been answered at that point and drop us as subjects for study."
"And if they don't?"
"Then they don't. No biggie. Sooner or later someone on Capitol Hill will realize that space-based missiles won't get past flitter defenses any better than Earth-based missiles could a
nd they'll give up that project. Sooner or later they'll try to open a flitter engine and find out what happens when you do that. Then there are the PFM's. It would probably be fair to say that only friends of 3rd World will have access to them in the beginning. Everybody will be on their best behavior, I think."
Then it hit me. "Oh, damn," I said, "Speaking of 'best behavior', consider what it would be like if everybody on Earth had a PFM, Steph. They can't be too cheap too soon. Deaths by violence and diseases would almost stop. You'd have to build in a contraceptive or..." I looked at her and asked, "You've thought of that already, haven't you?"
She nodded. "Yes. Those interested in owning a PFM will be informed that the devices will prevent conception while being worn. I don't expect that revelation to seriously deter PFM use or sales; in fact, I expect just the opposite."
I grinned hugely at her, then laughed hard.
"Oh, God, that's slick, lady! You get five gold stars for this one! No, ten! Oh-fucking-wow, ma'am!"
Returning my grin, Steph said, "I thought you'd like it."
"Like it? Not strong enough. I love it! Which came first, the plan or the PFM's?"
Steph's grin turned wry as she said, "The PFM's, actually, but the plan followed almost immediately. I calculated the necessary resources and time required to make enough of them to meet probable demand. When I factored in population growth I realized that within a very few unculled generations there'd be standing room only and starvation on Earth."
"Wow..." I muttered, "And you were asking me for suggestions earlier? When you already had something like this in your pocket?" I stood up, stood straight, and clutched at my chest theatrically as I said, "You merely toy with me, milady!"
Pretending concern, Steph said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Do you think you'll recover?"
I pretended to have to think about that, then shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure. Another coffee and I'll be fine."
Steph laughed, "Good. I'll need you for product demonstrations."
Something else occurred to me. I asked, "Um... Do you think there'll be any problems with 3rd World about the contraceptive feature? For all the Amaran involvement, it's still a company owned and operated by Earthers."
3rd World Products, Inc., Book 4 Page 33